Seventeen and Still Unstoppable: Renard Extends His Winning Habit With Saudi Arabia
8 October 2025
A 17th Win Mirrors the Past
In his 17th match in charge, Hervé Renard preserved his perfect record with Saudi Arabia by guiding a 3-2 victory over Indonesia in the AFC Asian Qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
The win keeps the Greens on track toward qualification, with a decisive test against Iraq coming next.
Renard has seven wins in 17 games during his second stint, with six defeats and four draws, a pattern he has repeated across his coaching career with Kuwait and Morocco.
World Cup Dream Edges Closer
With the three points, Saudi Arabia remain in the hunt for a place in the 2026 finals hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada, and Renard's leadership continues to be a key factor.
His style emphasizes disciplined defense, balanced build-up, and high-pressing effort, while gradually expanding the pool of players beyond the foreign-based stars.
Renard's 17th Win: A Recurring Theme
Past stints with Kuwait and with Morocco also featured a similar "match 17" moment, where a 17th game win became part of a broader winning culture for the coach.
As Saudi pushes toward qualification, Renard stays optimistic, downplaying excuses and focusing on hard work, team unity, and mental edge.
The World Cup context also recalls the 2022 campaign, when Renard helped Saudi notch a standout victory over Argentina, a milestone that boosted the squad’s confidence and global standing.
Gaining experience with a mix of domestic and international competitions, Renard continues to promote a style that blends organization, compact defense, and quick transitions. His work with the Saudi team in 2022-23 laid foundations that he is now expanding in this second stint.
Punchline: If Renard keeps this pace, the 17th win will stop being a milestone and start being the default setting for Saudi football.
Punchline 2: The trophy shelf may need reinforcement if the streak continues, but hey, who wouldn’t want a bigger display for silverware and pride?
